


Broken Boys

by xXFoxtaiLXx



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Misery, dwight tries to help him, jake is a killer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-30 00:53:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16275830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xXFoxtaiLXx/pseuds/xXFoxtaiLXx
Summary: Jake goes missing, at first they think he's stuck in a trial but as days past they begin to fear the worst.





	Broken Boys

**Author's Note:**

> i cannot do titles

Losing a fellow survivor was harder than they all would have guessed. It was so unexpected, unexplained and it hurt like hell.

Dwight had noticed Jake's downward spiral for sure. He'd been moodier, less hopeful and more unproductive in trials. They'd all been like that though and he'd written it off as a bad spell. But then Jake had left for a trial and never come back. They waited into the night for him, speculating he'd managed to hide away and drag it out out of spite. 

Then days went by and they started to worry. People had gone missing before, Bill said some of them had gone for good- usually people who'd been there for years. Jake hadn't been there that long so Dwight was adamant he was just missing and decided to look for him.

He walked through the woods whenever he wasn't in trial, shouting and screaming in case Jake had gotten lost or trapped somewhere. He searched in trial, wondering if he'd been caught there somewhere. He checked lockers, small corners, the cars in the wreckers yard. He peaked through the little gap in the basement corner at Springwood and still found nothing. No clothes left behind, no prints, nothing.

After weeks had gone by he'd come to the realisation that Jake must have gone for real. Passed away and moved on to whatever there was after this. Heaven maybe. Or hell.

Claudette had come up to him as he sat round the campfire, numb with grief. She didn't say anything, just took his hand in hers and sat with him. He cried a little bit and she let him rest his head on her shoulder.

'I know what he meant to you.' She whispered and that made him cry a but harder.

He got no proper goodbye and no closure. Just the knowledge that the love of his life was probably gone forever, leaving him alone in this dark place.

***

Dwight sat by the fire, one of Jake's hat's in his hands. He ran his fingers over the fabric, relieved by the small amount of comfort it offered. He saw Ace give him a sad look and he looked away, he didn't like people seeing him like this.

'You okay kid?' Ace asked, taking his hat off and scratching his head.

'Yeah I'm fine.' He replied, stuffing the hat away in his jacket.

The older man gave him a soft look of understanding and got up to take a seat next to him.

'Listen Dwight. I'm not gonna tell you things will get better and that this will all go away with time because you don't need to hear that right now. What I will say is that you can't give in right now, we all need you here.'

He looked up and met Ace's eyes. Honest eyes despite all his trickery.

'You don't need me.' He mumbled, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets

'We do though, we need our leader.'

Dwight groaned at that and smiled a little, his first smile in days.

'Oh shut up Ace.' 

'It seems I've always been incapable of doing that.'

'Yeah I know.'

The two of them laughed together, laughter that turned to silence when the fog started to roll in. They exchanged glances, Dwight sighing and picking up his toolbox, Ace grabbing his lucky hat. 

Meg and Feng joined them at the fire, both carrying flashlights. 

'Hey Ace, bet ya get hooked before me.' Feng said, a smirk on her face.

Ace grinned, a challenging look in his eyes.

'Bet you get hit first.' 

Dwight just smiled, he wasn't going to join in their bets today. He wasn't sure he could even do a gen without blowing it up at the moment. He heard Meg join the betting pool as the fog surrounded them, offering her flashlight she could keep the killer busiest the longest. All the voices started to drift away as they left they fire, the air around him eventually turning silent until he was dropped off in the woods.

He looked around expecting to see the Huntress' cabin but there was no sign of it. He frowned. Was he somewhere new? I walked round cautiously in unfamiliar territory til he caught a glimpse of lights in the distance. He could see Feng creeping around and he ran over to her, crouching down beside her.

'Have you been here before?' He whispered, glancing behind him quickly.

She shook her head. 

'It seems familiar for some reason though.' She told him, quietly making her way up the stairs that led to the little cabin.

Dwight followed behind her, keeping a look out for anyone coming.

Inside the house looked fairly normal. A kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom. There didn't seem to be a lot of stuff but what was there looked pretty expensive. Solid oak tables, some expensive cooking utensils and some fancy picture frames.  The pictures themselves were distorted making whoever was in them indistinguishable. 

Feng rummaged around in some of the kitchen drawers and Dwight checked upstairs in the bedroom. Everything was earthy colours and practical, no technology though. Just a crappy radio downstairs. The bedroom was no different and Dwight couldn't find anything of use in there. 

He headed back downstairs, there was a gen in the middle of the living room that he got to work on. He checked his exit routes, an open window behind him, the front door and another window upstairs that he didn't fancy. 

Feng joined him and the two of them got it done pretty quickly. As the lights of the house flickered on as the gen finished Dwight figured the killer would head over here. He crept outside with Feng and they hid in the bushes to look out for whoever it might be. He nudged Feng to see if she'd caught the aura at all but she shook her head.

'Well he's not round here as far as I can see.' She told him, quietly standing up and looking round. 

'Should we stay together?' Dwight suggested.

'For now, until we know who it is.'

Dwight nodded. He knew Feng preferred to stay alone in trials, even she must be nervous in this new place. 

As they searched for another gen, two more went off in the distance. He looked round confused, surely the killer must have found one of them by now? He wondered if maybe the killer hadn't actually appeared in the trial with them. 

Nodding at Feng to go on alone, Dwight made his way back to the house and upstairs. He looked out the window, catching a glimpse of Meg in the distance. She looked to be running, not from anything though. He couldn't see Ace so he headed back downstairs and into the woods, wishing he had a flashlight today instead of his box. 

He could see a killer shack in the distance and decided to check the basement for a box, maybe he'd find a light in there. He checked around before going in, creeping down the stairs as quietly as he could. He hated being down here but not seeing the killer had helped take the edge off. He saw the box on the corner and ran over, flipping the lid back and rummaging through. 

As he pulled out some scrap paper and cloth he felt a chill run up his spine.  _Is someone watching me?_ He closed the lid carefully, biting his lip to stop himself screaming. He turned his head round, expecting to see Michael's white face or Amanda crouching at the stairs. He saw nothing at first, he squinted for any sign of the Wraith until his eyes fell on a dark figure in the corner. 

His nails dug into his palm as he made his way to the stairs. The figure was facing away from him and Dwight prayed that maybe he hadn't heard him. He held his breath and placed one foot on the bottom step, the wood emitting a painfully loud creak as he did.

He closed his eyes and waited for the familiar strike on his shoulder, a cleaver, knife or saw. 

Nothing. 

He opened one eye and turned his head. The figure was facing him now. A crude bird mask covered most of his face, just some tufts of hair stuck out the back of it. 

Dwight pressed his back against the wall as the thing walked towards him, a quiet heart beat  starting as he did. The figure stopped just short of him, tipping his head to one side and reaching out for Dwight's face.

'What do you want.' He stammered, his legs shaking.

The thing just stood there, hand froze in mid air. He wanted to run, scream for help, do anything to escape but his body remained rigid. Like he was glued against the basement wall.

Finally the thing moved its hand, reaching for the mask on its head. Dwight felt himself go cold as it began to lift it, expecting to see some mangled and deformed face beneath. 

He saw the bottom of its face, it looked fairly normal. Scarred a little but normal. Something about it looked familiar, he looked closely at the jaw and chin, a jarring sensation in his stomach when he realised. 

Jake.

He took the mask completely off, setting it down on the floor beside him and stared at Dwight. His eyes looked the same but there wasn't the same emotion behind them. They looked colder now, more unwelcome.

'Jake?' He whispered, stepping forward uncertainly.

He could see a hunting knife in his hands and he knew he wanted to get that out the way before they could talk.

'Can you speak?' He asked, reaching out for the weapon in his partners hand.

Jake recoiled back as he tried and he stopped nervously, hoping he wouldn't swing at him. He didn't, just stepped away from him and held the knife closer to his chest.

'What happened to you? We thought you had died.'

He just shook his head and turned away, leaving the bird mask near Dwight's feet. He wanted to kick it but he was afraid what Jake might do to him if he did. It looked as if he might end up dead with one wrong move.

'Let me get you back to the fire.' Dwight offered, taking his hand. 'Maybe we can change you back.'

Jake stiffened and shoved him away into the wall. Rounding on him and holding the knife to his throat. Dwight gasped as he felt the cool metal touch his neck, blood beginning to trickle out. 

'Jake, p-please.' He choked out, trying to push him away. 'Don't you remember me?'

The glare he got said nothing, he was sure Jake remembered him- he just didn't care. He struggled against the grip, trying desperately to get Jake to look at him again.

'Listen to me. We were....' He trailed off uselessly, feeling ridiculous telling the man holding a knife to his throat that they used to be boyfriends.

Jake's grip loosened a little though and Dwight looked at him hopefully.

'You said you loved me...' 

The grip tightened again for a moment before he let go, letting Dwight slump down onto the ground. His fingers immediately reached for his neck, examining how bad it was. A generator was finished as he checked it and he jumped, he had forgotten he was even in a trial. He looked over at Jake who had returned to the corner, the bird mask in his hands.

'I can help you.' Dwight told him, getting to his feet but keeping one hand on his neck.

'But you have to let me.'

Jake didn't look at him, his eyes fixated on the wall. His posture wasn't hard and intimidating like the other killers, he was slumped and lacking energy. It was sad to see him reduced to this. He waited for any kind of response but Jake gave none, his knife was still held tightly in his hand. He watched it nervously in case Jake suddenly changed his mind. 

As he waited saw the aura of Ace running nearby and he knew he needed to get out of here before someone found them. The man would want to check the basement for items, he better grab something from it quick before he left. 

'I need to go.' He said. 'Everyone will be wondering where I am.'

Jake nodded, not turning his head to look at him though. Dwight knelt down at the chest quickly, pulling out a crappy flashlight.

'Are you going to come with me?' He asked again, taking a step closer but not touching him this time.  

He shook his head and Dwight sighed. He'd find a way to fix him, Jake hadn't killed anyone yet. He reached out slowly, fingertips brushing against his. He moved back quickly, not wanting another cut throat. Jake turned around though, a sad look in his eyes and Dwight wanted to fall into his chest and cry. 

'I'll come back for you.' He told him as he made his way to the stairs, standing a few moments longer to look at him. Jake didn't say anything, just reached back for his mask and turned away.

***

Another generator went off as he was looking for the others and he ran for an exit gate. Finding everyone already crowded round it. 

'Did you find the killer?' Feng asked him as he arrived, carrying some new batteries in her hand.

'Nope, no sign of anyone.' He lied, fixing his collar to cover the cut as best he could.

The sound of the buzzers went off and the gates juddered open. They hung around the exit for a while, Dwight trying to act as if he was looking for the killer too-squinting at the trees and pretending to check the little shack near by. Meg went in for one last check, shaking her head when she got back. They all shrugged at each other and left, looking back over their shoulders in case of a last minute attack. Ace fixed him with a look as he passed by him to go back to the fire and he forced a smile, hoping the man wouldn't suspect anything. 

They all crowded round when they got back, Meg telling everyone how no killer had been in the trial.

'Maybe they finally took a day off.' David grumbled, warming his hands near the flames.

'Never heard it happen before though.' Bill replied gruffly, his eyes meeting Dwight's. 'Sometimes new killers don't know what's going on so they don't kill but you always see someone at least.'

Meg shrugged and sat down next to David.

'It was a new place, woods with a little house in it. Maybe it's just another part of the Huntress' territory.'

There were some murmurs of agreement and a little more discussion but no one questioned him about it. Bill looked at him funny but didn't ask anything and Dwight was thankful he didn't. He wasn't sure he could lie to Bill and get away with it. 

As he sat down he realised what the place must have been. He remembered Jake telling him how he'd moved into a little cabin in the woods when his father had become too overwhelming. That must have been his home. It would be strange knowing that next time he was there, especially if Jake was there too. Being back in the place he'd lived before he got stuck here, Dwight wondered if it made him feel anything or if being a killer had stripped all that from him. 

'Hey how are you holding up?'

Claudette asked, smiling as she took a seat beside him.

'I'm okay, just a strange trial. Perhaps the entity is taking it easy on me.' He joked, not meeting her gaze.

'Wish it could do that every time.'

He nodded in agreement and looked over at the others who were starting to settle down for the night. He faked a yawn and stretched his arms hope, hoping it might get him out of any more questions he didn't want to answer.

'Yeah it's been a weird day for you, you should get some sleep.' Claudette said, rubbing his right shoulder gently before getting to her feet.

'Let me know if you need anything to help you sleep.'

Dwight smiled. 

'I will don't worry.'

She walked away and sat down with Feng to discuss the trial more and Dwight sighed. He pulled Jake's hat out if his jacket, kneading the soft fabric with the pads of his thumbs. He wasn't sure what he was going to do about this, he didn't even know how he felt about the whole situation. Happy that Jake wasn't dead, distraught he was now a killer and hopeful that maybe he could fix it. Right now he could do nothing but sleep though, he pulled his jacket tighter around him and curled up on the forest floor, the flickering of the fire lulling him to sleep.

***

Dwight still had no idea what he was going to do when he saw Jake again. Stood in the corner of the woods whilst everyone else worked on generators. 

He approached him slowly, gently nudging his arm when he reached Jake's side. The other man didn't react with more than a grunt but he figured it was better than the knife at his throat. 

They sat down together, awkward at first as Dwight asked questions that Jake didn't answer. He just shrugged his shoulders and grunted at most of them. He wanted to walk around the woods with him but the more Jake moved the louder his heartbeat got, staying still made it silent and Dwight couldn't risk anyone finding him. So they sat there together and Dwight just spoke to him. Told him about other trials, stories from back home and filling him in on anything the other survivors were doing.

It didn't look like Jake cared whether Dwight talked or not but he refused to give in, he'd reach him somehow. 

This carried on for several trials and it felt like they were making progress. Jake would look like he was listening, he'd nod his head more and tilt his head when he didn't understand. He started pulling Dwight towards him so that they could lean against each other, the simple contact proving that he wasn't void of feeling. It was awkward and clumsy still but it worked, Dwight was determined to make it so.

People began to question him  outside of the trials though. They'd ask where he went and Dwight could only make so much up. The trials with Jake were becoming more frequent and with different maps, he could only use the excuse of the house reminding him of his made up summer home for so long.  

Claudette followed him round one trial and he'd held his breath as he saw Jake's looming figure in the distance. He'd made up some story about seeing some strange plants here last time and told Claudette he wanted to show her. She laughed at him when all he could find was dandelions. 

He worked as hard as he could in normal trials, trying to distract everyone from his unusual behaviour but it had little effect. Bill started asking more questions, he said there was no reason there should be so many trials with no killers. Meg said we should be thankful but it was no use. Bill became paranoid something big was going to happen, like the entity itself was about to pick them off one by one.

Dwight was becoming paranoid himself, he knew he couldn't keep Jake a secret for ever, it was only  a matter of time before some one found out. The question was just, how long? Each trial made him more and more nervous, especially the ones where he wasn't there. Where he couldn't control the outcome in anyway. Where survivors had started to report glimpses of someone else in the trial with them.

It all came crashing down on him in one trial. They were in Haddonfield, not the greatest place as it wasn't very big and they could be found a lot easier. He found Jake in one of the houses, tucked away in a corner. He was shaking though and Dwight approached him nervously, reaching out a tentative hand to touch him.

'Jake?' 

He swung round suddenly, his eyes crazed and dark and Dwight almost tripped up in his attempt to escape. 

'Jake what the hell is wrong with you?!' He yelled, trying to kick him back.

The killer raised his knife and struck out for him, Dwight only just rolling out the way in time. He headed for the stairs, hurtling down them and almost tripping as he went. He ran into the street, desperately wanting to call out for help. Bill, Laurie and Nea were in here with him, all people that could give Jake a run for his money but Dwight's mouth wouldn't work. He kept on running into the play park, crouching down behind a pallet to catch his breath. He couldn't say anything yet, not while there was still a chance. 

He peered out, Jake was in the road charging about looking for him. He held his breath as he passed by, watching where he went. He crept after him, listening for the faint heartbeat the killer was giving. Eventually Dwight lost him, he checked the house they'd been near and found nothing.  _Where the hell as he gone?_

He stuck his head out of the window and saw Nea in the street cleansing a totem and he froze. Jake was watching her, moving as slow as he could so that his heartbeat would stay almost silent. Dwight couldn't speak as he watched him strike her, knife dragging down her shoulder. She let out a howl of pain that cut through him and he bolted for the stairs. 

He could see Bill running towards her as well as ran, the older man arriving a few seconds before him.

'So we finally meet the elusive bird man people have been seeing.' Bill spat at him. 'Why don't you chase after this old man instead?' 

Nea was already running away as he spoke, clutching her shoulder desperately. Jake looked back at her before lunging forward at Bill. Dwight's heart stopped as he felt himself stepping in, grabbing onto Jake's arm and fighting his grip on the knife.

'What in god's name are you doing Dwight?' Bill yelled, trying to pull him back.

'I can't let him hurt you, he's out of his mind!'

'You think I don't know that? He's a damn killer, boy!'

Bill dragged him off a ran, pulling Dwight along behind him. He looked back as Jake began to chase them, slowly picking up speed. They ran down the street, stopping behind one of the police cars. 

'What the hell was that?' Bill asked as he waited at the pallet. 

'Listen he doesn't want to hurt us not really, I  think the entity did something to him, he was getting better I promise!'

'You've seen him before?'

Bill dropped the pallet as Jake tried to strike, causing him to grunt in pain. The two of them ran into a house, hopping out of the back window and into the garden where they crouched down behind the bushes. Bill gave him a hard look and Dwight nodded, not meeting his gaze.

'Yeah, I've seen him.'

'Is that where you've been going in trials?'

Dwight nodded, rubbing his arm nervously.

'I was helping him get better.'

'But why?' Bill asked, frowning in confusion. 'He's a killer.'

Dwight looked out of the hedges to the house where he was searching for them and sighed. 

'Because that's Jake.'

Bill didn't say anything at first, just looked over to the house as well. Watching as he eventually left to find someone else. He looked back at Dwight, his hard gaze softening.

'Oh son.'

He reached out awkwardly and Dwight fell into him, sobs taking over his body unexpectedly. 

'I thought I could fix h-him.' He spluttered, wiping tears from his face. 'Thought he could be like us again.'

Bill let him cry on him for a while, gently rubbing his back in a fatherly fashion. Dwight managed to choke out the story between sobs, telling Bill how he'd found him and how Jake had almost begun talking again. He listened intently as Dwight spoke; gently pulling him up to his feet when he finished.

'I'm sorry Dwight I really am.' He said gently. 'But I don't think there's anything else you can do for him.'

'I want to try once more.' Dwight told him, taking some deep breaths to compose himself. 'He was getting better so the entity  _must_  have done something. Maybe I can reverse it. You and the others get the gens done.'

Bill smiled sadly and nodded at him.

'Alright then kid, I'll do that. But if he hurts you I'm getting you out of there.'

Dwight nodded and set off towards the street, Bill heading for a gen in the back garden of the next house. He could see Laurie's aura crouched down in a house and guessed Jake must be close by. He dropped a pallet to make some noise and watched as the killer emerged. His body rigid and ready to attack.

'Jake?'

The killer didn't flinch, he advanced further instead. Dwight stood his ground, hoping his courage might prove something.

'Jake it's Dwight. We've been seeing each other in trials remember? I was helping you.'

He tilted his head in curiosity as Dwight spoke, it seemed like the action came from amusement rather than recognition though. 

'You used to be a survivor with me and the others. Don't you remember?' His legs wobbled as Jake arrived in front of him, drawing himself to full height. A lot taller than he used to be.

'You used to sabotage the bear traps all the time, and break the hooks in front of the killers.' He laughed slightly at the thought, not daring to look at Jake.

'You were friends with Nea, she liked to annoy the killer too. But you hurt her back there, do you not remember her?' 

He couldn't read the expression under the mask but he saw Jake's shoulder's slump down slightly, his posture less threatening. 

'And you and David used to argue when you first got here, he always saved you anyway though. He's like that.'

'And me... me and you used to be together. I think you hated me at first, you were a bit selfish to be honest and I didn't like you. But you warmed to us over time, I never stopped trying to help you and I think you must have grown annoyed by it and given in.'

He smiled as he recalled the past trials, Jake rolling his eyes every time Dwight joined him on a gen. 

He looked up and saw him stood there still, un-moving. Dwight reached out slowly, he wanted to take the mask off so they could look at each other properly. His hand made contact with it and he began to lift it up, shaking slightly as he did. 

Before he could tell what had happened Jake's hand at snapped up to grab is own and he felt the knife plunge into his stomach. His eyes widened as he felt a wave of pain crash over him and his knees buckled with the shock of it. Dwight began to shake violently as blood began to pour out and he looked up at Jake, betrayal in his eyes.

'Who are you?' He whispered, shaking his head in disbelief.

'You aren't Jake anymore, not the Jake I knew.'

The killer said nothing, just started to laugh. An ugly crazed laughter that made him feel sick. He could hear generators popping in the distance and the doors were powered as he curled up on the floor, hugging his bleeding body. Cold fingers wrapped round his shoulder and lifted him up, he didn't struggle as he was carried towards the hook. He felt dead inside, his work was for nothing. 

'Dwight get ready to run!' 

His moved his head towards the voice and saw Nea running towards him, a flashlight in her hand. He could see a light and felt the grip on him loosen, causing him to drop down to the floor. Bill arrived at his side, grabbing him and pulling him up.

'Come on boy we gotta go!' 

He dragged Dwight into the street. Nea running behind them, blinding the killer and dropping pallets to slow him down. He could see Laurie in the distance and she waved them over, the hatch was beneath her and she bent down and pushed a key into the lock, the door swinging open. She leapt down into it, and Bill pushed him over.

'Go on Dwight we don't have time!'

He looked back as Nea was hit as she tried to stop the killer reaching them and he felt a sudden emptiness wash over him. As he jumped down the hatch he felt himself wishing that the fall would never end, that he would never have to do another trial again. He couldn't face it anymore. 

Jake was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: foxtail-magic


End file.
